Seeing in Monochrome
by SpeaksInRiddles
Summary: 1st in a series of backgroundstories for the verse of my multi-XO 'Monochrome Butterfly'. Xander Sees, he always has. Once upon a past life, in a Galaxy far far away, and now once more, following his Darkness-prone friend into a new one. This time around though, he has a Cassandra-curse to deal with, courtesy of the PTB. Will he be able to subvert her fall again? OOC!Malak!Xander
1. Seeing in Black

_**AN:**_ First of the sidestories posted for the verse of my story 'Monochrome Butterfly'. This one tries to describe the AU that is it's Buffy/KoTOr-verse. It goes into detail about the reincarnation and Halloween, and why exactly Xander was still regarded the buttmonkey, despite, you know, once having been Malak, one of the two Sith Lords that brought a Galaxy to his knees, and having kept those memories and most of the abilities involved...

_**An2: **_Furthermore, why was a Malak!Xander never done before? (to my knowledge) I mean seriously:

Alexander: Alec/Xander.

Both initially being the comic relief, and being best buddies with a girl/guy/thing that has the tendency to go dark. [Alec/Malak with Revan obviously, and Dark!Willow is, you know, barely averted in Buffy-verse canon, At multiple points.

The idea of a Cassandra!Xander is a bit too tempting to pass up too. Not only because it continues the bad-pun-precedent set with the Alec!Xander, but it also allows me too tie those two verses together almost effortlessly, while still staying mostly true to pre-Halloween Buffy!canon, and KoTOR!game!Canon, aside from the little things I want to change.

_And oh, how well it fits in with the Xander's the One-That-Sees/Zeppo identification, even if the implied nuances are slightly different._

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own, can you not see? I never will, Doesn't it suck to be me?

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**1.**  
Prescience is a bit of a given for any trained Force sensitive, but Alec, at his tender age, already knows that what he sees is not normal. Possibilities, Paths, Probabilities, their relation to each other spun into one bright web. Having seen multiple outcomes of his life, he is far ahead of age mates in skill and maturity.

Safe for one that is. Her, Him. Whatever. Revan will still be ahead of him. Alec is a bit baffled by the fact that his to-be-best-friend's gender and looks tend to differ in some of the timelines he sees, but he also tries not to think too deeply about it. Standing at Revan's side is right in a way he can't even begin to describe, despite the gender confusion.

Now, if only he could get the girl to be more confident in herself.

* * *

**2.**  
Malak knows they are heading down a dangerous path. Has known it forever to be honest. He has seen Revan fall into madness so many times he lost count. Every time his heart twists, to see what the bright, if somewhat insecure girl could become.

It is the reason that, while honestly not feeling any lure of the Dark Side whatsoever, he uses the Force to give himself the Sith-complexion of pale skin and golden eyes, Playing the role of the man that's always just a little more fallen than his master, a bit too extreme for her then-current mindset.

His behaviour acts a warning to Revan, and often forces her eyes open to what she is doing, causing her to backpedal, horrified of what she had been about to do. Malak cannot stop her descent, in every possible future she falls, but Force be damned if he doesn't slow it enough for her to eventually be redeemed.

With a heavy heart he orders Karath to start Telos's Orbital Bombardment.

* * *

**3.**  
His stunt with Telos costs him his lower jaw, angry as Revan was. Malak cares little however. Hundreds, thousands of timelines, in which his friend is never redeemed are now in the realm of may-have-beens. He knows Onasi will keep his girl on the straight during her second search for the Star Forge. He briefly feels sorry for the man, manipulating him like that, but to him only Revan matters.

She's his sun, his sky, his everything. Malak has long since known he had fallen in love with Revan. He's also aware of the fact that his love for her is borderline, if not fullblown, over the top obsession.

The fact that she will likely fall for Onasi instead, at the path he's planning hurts. But what's a little self-sacrifice when it comes to her? Malak thinks dryly. It's not like his entire life up to now hasn't consisted of it in trying to ensure the best possible future for her, everything and everyone else be damned.

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**4.**  
Ordering the Leviathan to attack Revan's vessel is both the hardest, and most satisfying thing Malak has ever done. Hard, because she's his Revan, damn it all. Satisfying because the chance she will ultimately end up Light is now, after all his careful manipulations finally higher than her ending up fallen.

He'd kill for her, he'd die for her. It's fortunate Malak is willing to go that far, because Revan's redemption needs him to do both.

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**5.**  
Above Taris, Malak is startled by the sudden shift in the fates. Not because many timelines disappeared all at once -although that was disconcerting in itself- but because what was in the remaining futures. At the same time Revan bagged the female Sith during the party, all futures regarding her ending up with Onasi -or any other male, period- suddenly disappeared. He lets out a choking noise at the realization, causing his staff to look at him with worry. Their disturbed sentiment only increases as it changes from strangled laughter into full blown guffaws.

It just figures this version of his friend was a closet lesbian.

Strangely enough, despite feeling slightly disappointed he never had a chance, he loves her all the more for it.

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**6.**  
Malak suppressed a twitch. Coming out of the closet was one thing, his girl falling for Shan, something else entirely. That was one union that would never gain his blessing. Why couldn't she have fallen for that Cathar Jedi, or Force forbid, the Twilek-jail bait?

He looks at the downed Jedi Princess. It was a good thing he had proper motivation to dislike her, even if the reason was really flimsy. Her turning would involve torture, something which he -despite everything- doesn't like any more than any even slightly sane guy.

This was the closest thing he had ever come to truly wanting someone to suffer, and he was going to make good use of it.

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**7.**  
With Bastila redeemed, and he himself dying of the wounds inflicted on him by Revan, Malak ponders his past. He knows he wouldn't have made any other choice in hindsight, having always seen things in something akin to it. If he didn't he might have wondered what would have happened if things went differently, maybe have a conversation with Revan about it, but he's satisfied. Revan wouldn't notice his smile, his metal jaw making that particular expression all but impossible, but she doesn't have to. Malak feelst at peace, the gold of his eyes having faded as Malak didn't have the energy to keep that particular change up anymore.

In the end he dies without any last words or regrets. It's all he could ask for.

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**8.**  
One with the Force, Malak rejoices as Revan regains her memories. Fortunately, despite realizing in her now-non-Darkside-corrupted state of mind that Malak's behaviour didn't add up, Revan blames the discrepancies on Sith Irrationality instead of recognizing the careful manipulations for what they were.

One day, when she joins him in the Force, Malak might tell her. He still doesn't want her to know now though.

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**9.**  
Revan, lovable, infuriating idiot that she is, goes to confront the Sith Emperor again. Malak knew that she was going to, he really did, but it didn't take away the fact that he groans out loud at the blatant stupidity of it when it happens. Why would she succeed where she failed once? Especially without backup? The least he can do is keep her company in her torture.

Truly, These are going to be a long 300 years.

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**10.**  
Revan has long since joined the Force, and consequently found out the truth. The reaming Malak received became stuff of legends, having caused even the Force itself to ripple in amusement, to the confusion of both living Jedi and Sith alike.

Then comes the day that his girl disappears. _'Reincarnation'_ the Force whispers to the frantic Malak. He immediately sets out to join her, barging into her new universe, to the consternation of the Powers of that world. Even more than the fact that he didn't even ask, the fragile balance on that plane heavily relies on their Prophecized Saviours. Having a man that has averted the Prophecy of the Sith'Ari in a past life being reborn is a point of heavy concern.

Especially since his place of rebirth is the Sunnydale Hellmouth, A nexus not only for inter-dimensional energies, but also a Shatterpoint of Fate of massive proportions.

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[**AN3**: To be honest, this take on Malak scares the crap out of me. A lot more than the canon one even, with how fanatically devoted -coughobsessedcough- he is with Revan.]

**Expect the next chapter to be out in one or two days**


	2. Here we go again!

**AN:** I know only a rare few review [lol, try saying that five times], but they would be highly appreciated anyway...

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own BTVS or KoTOR. I got over it, why can't you?

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**11.**  
Malak can now, with perfect certainty say he never wants to go through the birthing process ever again. Not only is it _painfultightsuffocating_, the thought of what exactly that tube he was pushed through was, is traumatizing enough on it's own.

It isn't until hours later, when he voices this opinion in his mind, that Malak realizes being this clear-minded as a baby or the fact that he still thinks of himself as Malak are far from normal. Granted, he doesn't know all that much about babyhood, but aren't their brains not developed enough, or something? He vows to himself to look it up some day, when he's old enough again.

Which is yet another thought that sparks another realization. He's a baby for the foreseeable future. Small, not self-sufficient, defenseless. With his gift of precognition already kicking in again, he can tell that is a decidedly bad thing in this family.

On the other hand, Force Compulsions are a wonderful thing.

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**12.**  
Today he finally learned his new name; Alexander Lavelle Harris. He likes his first name, as he can pass off Alec, a name which is infinitely more familiar to him, of as a nickname of sorts. He doesn't particularly care about his last name, although he does mentally whine for a bit at the 'Lavelle' part.

It may not be as bad as 'Squinquargesimus' was, but it still ranks on his list of names that you shouldn't give your kid.

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**13.  
**He is visited in a not-quite-dream by two bronze-blue skinned humanoids._ 'Oracles'_, the Force helpfully supplies him. Absentmindedly he notices he looks like Alec again, instead of his current body, or Malak's metal-jawiness, but what grasps his attention at the moment is the displeased look at the faces of his visitors.

What follows is a polite worded, if slightly condescending ass-chewing. On a scale from one 1 to 10, with 10 being an explosion on par with what has become known to the Force as 'Revan's Reaming', it barely scores a 3, although the resulting punishment for his actions are quite as annoying.

Apparently, to prevent his Prophecy-breaking tendencies from manifesting themselves in a world that is mostly sustained by them, the Powers That Be hit him with a weaker variant of the Cassandra Curse. While not as strong as the one it was named for apparently was, which would have caused people to think him stark raving mad, people will very rarely, if ever think his contributions useful.

To one used to respect, and being able to act upon his visions, that might even be worse, Alec muses. His only consolation are the parting worlds of the female, that the curse is liftable by any decently talented mage.

Alec sighs. Big fat good does that do him, when no one knows he's under it to begin with and he won't be believed when he tells them.

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**14.**  
Time passes, and years later, in kindergarten, he sees Revan again for the first time. Intimately familiar with her Force Signature, he recognizes her presence immediately. Alexander's heart nearly breaks at the sight though. He knew she wouldn't recognize or remember him, and had prepared himself for that, but it was not the thing that got to him. Despite visions of it, he'd almost forgotten how painfully shy and insecure she could and would be.

Swallowing his trepidation he boldly goes up to her and offers his hand, cheerfully saying that Hi, he was Alexander, and asking if he could be her friend, because that would be like really, really awesome. The smile that lit up the shy girl's face at that enthusiastic offer of friendship is totally worth the hurt in his opinion.

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**15.  
**Alexander doesn't know how to respond when Willow decides to shorten his name to Xander. On one hand it is nostalgic, as she did that in their past life too when his name proved to be too hard to announce. On the other one he feels a pang of hurt at it, as it reminds him of the fact that the past won't return, and that maybe, probably, the part of him that is Alec doesn't belong.

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**16.  
**Xander feels like banging his head against the wall until he passes out will be a particularly good idea today. Willow is going to 'Officially' pronounce them boyfriend and girlfriend. While overtime most of Xander's 'Adultiness' faded, leaving him with a slightly more childlike mentality, he's still man enough to not have a thing for 5-year-olds. Add to that the fact that his other visions already showed him the fact that this version of his girl is is very, very likely to go lesbian too, he has little to no interest in a relationship like that.

3 days later they break up because Xander 'stole' her barbie. He had actually Force Crushed it out of frustration, before sheepishly -and secretly- disposing of the remains afterwards. He sticks with official version of the story though, as Willow probably wouldn't believe he used the Force to 'kill' her barbie.

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**17.  
**This is quickly turning out to be the worst day of this short life so far. Xander knows this is the Hellmouth, even without his freakishly overpowered precognition it is hard to ignore the thick, choking, dark Miasma perpetrating everything. If it wasn't for experience, and his apparent inability to be truly affected by the dark side, he would have had a mental breakdown years ago.

That is not the point though. The point is that he is being attacked by walking, Dark Side animated corpses, who bear a striking resemblance to those bloodsuckers from Myth he heard about. With judicious use of the Force he gets them off-balance long enough to break a picket fence into pieces and strike them in the heart with the pieces of wood. That way, even if he turned out to be wrong with his assumption -which he wasn't- his attackers would still be dead. Former Sith Lord anyone? The fight leaves him shaken though, as the vampires still had been damn near to killing him.

The day gets only worse when it turn out the fight ripped the back of his pants, and he walked around showing his Aquaman-underpants for the whole world to see. The fact that his 'father''s booze left an unidentifiable stain in precisely the wrong place doesn't help any.

Finally snapping, he threatens the kids in kindergarten, and anyone else in the vicinity at the time, with untold amounts of pain if they were to ever tell anyone. His Cassandra-curse might still be active, but the Visible Aura of Doom he projects through the Force -and yes, those were Capitals- leaves them subconsciously traumatized enough to take that warning to heart.

A predecessor to Willow's 'Resolve Face' makes it's very, very first appearance and when pressured he tells Willow about the Vampire attack. Despite having the wounds and other evidence to show for it, she doesn't believe him, courtesy of the Cassandra Curse.

Knowing beforehand he was going to be dismissed as silly didn't ease the sting of it in any way.

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**18.  
**Mwhuahahaha! Run Clown! Run! or I'll zap you to death! Xander cackles madly, while chasing him with Force Lighting

He isn't afraid of clowns, he really isn't, but after having gleamed the man's surface thoughts and finding a wholly unrepentant child rapist, he finds his reaction to be, while slightly excessive, also quite, quite reasonable.

The fact that his Sight allowed him to plan for the chase, and make the it even worse for the molester and more amusing for him is only the icing on the birthday cake. Needless to say, the traumatized victim stops his wicked deeds. The party-goers still dismiss it of course only remembering Xander had a bad reaction to the clown.

For the first time since his birth, he's beginning to like almost perpetually flying under the radar.

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**19.  
**Xander's school calls for a test to see if he has any learning disabilities. He rolls his eyes at this. he is still for most intents and purposes a grown, educated man in a child's body on a pre-spaceflight planet. Just because the teachers don't think his answers matter, doesn't mean he's wrong about them. Easily answering the questions on the test he shows them that.

Unlike a Xander in a World-Obsessed-With-Shrimp-Metaphores, he doesn't flunk mathematics -Revan beat those into his thick head-. He's a bit behind in spelling and reading though. Despite not having his friend's thing for languages, it's still his 14th one. Force Comprehension after all doesn't work on script, unless it's as stupidly overpowered as Xander's own Force Precognition.

He knows that because of his 'condition' he isn't going to be labeled a genius or a prodigy, but he doesn't particularly care.

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**20.  
**Xander is 8 when he first sees Star Wars. Sure, he's heard if it being mentioned in passing, but you know, it was kind of like the Chinese Wall, he's knows it's there, but he doesn't know it.

Needless to say, he goes through a brief existential crisis, questioning everything he ever knew and was.

Well, that was until the epiphany that the him in his visions must have already known of it, but thought it unimportant. Concentrating he realizes he has seen at least four separate, actually working Force-Users with lightsabers in his futures. The details about those are still rather fuzzy though, there being you know, millions upon millions of possibilities left before even arriving at that point.

He still cheers up considerably, knowing his life wasn't a lie after all, and continues his ' unimportant' ways.

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**AN2: **There we have, next chapter Xander will finally reach Buffy-canon. This one might take a little longer,  
as I can't just use the Buffy-verse Wiki to refresh the facts [meaning I have to rewatch some episodes],  
but it still shouldn't take much longer than a week, tops.

_VV - Remember, reviews are the fuel that keeps plunnies interesting and muses going. - VV_


	3. Prelude to Chaos

**AN**: I got a lucky break, and managed to watch the first two seasons. It's the other five that I worry about as this month I move and my sister moves out on top of that.

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**Disclaimer**: Do I look like I own? Tch...

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**21.**  
Over the years Xander has made quite a niche for himself on the Sunnyhell Hellmouth, and a status as being off-limits. It was a gradual process, but slowly but surely the nightlife started to piece together the parts of a disturbing picture. Namely that everyone that crosses Xander or his, or plans to do so, dies. They may not know 'who' or 'what' is 'protecting him, but the result is nevertheless the same.

He finds it absolutely hilarious how they deal with the conflicting information, but does not bother to correct them. Aside from the amusement value the current situation has there is of course also the fact that they simply won't believe him.

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**22.**  
When he first sees Buffy, Xander falls of his skateboard in surprise. In the past, while contemplating the paths, he has always wondered why that was, as really, he had Seen it all before, and while pretty Buffy wasn't THAT hot. Meeting her in person though, and consequently sensing her Force Presence, clarifies that part.

Who'd have thought the One Girl to Slay Evil would be a reincarnated Shan? He wonders, before mentally face-palming. Never mind, stupid question. That sounds like Bastila through and through.

Going through the rest of the day in a daze, it isn't until nightfall that realization hits him. Oh, the horrible irony of it. Xander had already identified Giles as the Exile before. For better or for worse, the gang -plus Bastila- is complete again.

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**23.**  
Vampires come, vampires get staked at the Harvest and go out with a Whoosh. It is fortunate however, that Jesse is not among the undead at the time, courtesy of Xander. For a moment the teen is happy, knowing he saved his friend from a fate that is dead.

He cannot be everywhere however, and mere weeks later his friend is still turned, on an otherwise uneventful night. The shift in timelines take Xander by surprise, and with a heavy heart he has to stake his friend after all.

His mind, that has had to think rational for more than a lifetime, is unable to truly blame himself for it, even if his heart wants to say otherwise.

He is only one person, trying to prevent a multitude of futures, to closely related to each other to clearly distinguish. Everything can be fatal, unlike his past life. Back when the playing field was an entire Galaxy, the paths to be chosen from were pretty solid, needing far to many converging variables to change easily. Here in Sunnydale where everything hinges on a small group, in a small town. Every decision matters, and then some. Literally every choice is sufficient as a variable to a different future.

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**24.**  
Xander knows that his continued ignorance of Willow's feelings is hurting the girl. But despite the fact that part of him wants to be her lover so very badly, he knows he's not the one for her in this lifetime, or any if he is to be honest.

And even if he was, he mentally adds in a silent jab to Angel, he has memories of enough years lived to be her grandfather, on top of, you know, being in unrequited love with her previous incarnation.

While Xander freely admits to being all kinds of messed up when it comes to his girl, he isn't that far gone. He can't do that to her.

She'll... get over it.

Eventually...

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**25.**  
If it was not for his future sight, Xander wouldn't even have known he was possessed by a Hyena. Little happens really. It is something that does not come unexpected to the Seer Xander is an anomaly when it comes to battles of the mind. He half-jokingly calls himself the 'Strongest of all Xanders'. But it's a heartbreaking reality he doesn't really want to think about. He is the dominant identity in a mind filled with could-be and might-have-beens versions of him.

Needless to say, to a soul that subconsciously battles all alternate versions of him, and WINS. A mere semi-sentient spirit, no matter how strong it's primal instincts, is not going to make the cut.

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**26.**  
His fear is so NOT being in his underwear, nor is it clowns. Rather it is being stripped of everything he is. His memories of his past life, his sight, his powers. His duty and his goals, everything that makes him Xander, the real one. For that one terrible day he is the Xander the curse makes everyone believe that he is.

When all of it ends, he has never been this unsettled.

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**27.**  
Xander finds it ridiculous exactly how far this unlucky streak is going, but takes it in stride. He either suspects the Powers really dislike him, or it's Karma for the trillions he killed in a galaxy far, far away. It is most likely a combination of the two, and the latter is after all a really, really good reason for all the shit he's being put through.

Aside from the fact that he deserves it, there are people that are off much, much worse than him. On top he can already list the Slayers for one, not having a choice in fighting evil, and dying an early, oftentimes violent deaths. Poor Cid is another. Angel even, although he still doesn't like Deadboy.

Angel, that is the soul Liam, never really wronged him. Xander, however, knows both what Angelus is capable of and what he's going to do. While Liam might have been the original owner of the body, it now belongs to Angelus. The personality called 'Angel', while being innocent, is nothing but a construction originating from a curse. One that can and will be lifted at that.

Thinking about it leaves a bitter aftertaste, if only for the parallels drawn.

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**28.**  
CPR! Gift of the Gods.

Or rather a curse to them, as Xander shows them he still continues to break Prophecies with relative ease. He knows it's petty, and he also knows Buffy is prophesized to return to begin with, making it moot. Point in Case: Twilight and all the other, lesser prophecies involving her that happened after this dat.

But while the middle-finger aimed upwards does little, it certainly improves his mood.

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**29.**  
Xander has Seen who 'Ampata' is of course Although unlike most antagonists, he decides to let her have her one night though. Like so many of the people he knows and loves, she was just a girl, who had to sacrifice herself for a higher calling. Wanting to be normal, wanting to live, but being forced to give up everything for the Greater Good.

He still helps kill her in the end, the 'or else' being killed himself, and not being there to help stop several Apocalypsi -Xander has long since given up on finding the correct plural-, but he knows he will remember the princess forever. If not for her sacrifice, for the feelings that may have blossomed on another path.

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**30.**  
Xander decides to let Halloween run it's course, although he subtle gets Willow to word a warning that, to paraphrase consists of 'we probably shouldn't dress up as something weak or evil, as that was probably tempting fate here on the Hellmouth', and leaves his manipulations it at that, before going of to find a non-Ethan costume.

He curses himself for it though, later that night. Because when the spell hits, he senses an all to familiar presence. Times two.

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**AN:** I can't make a promise to when the next update comes. It will probably still be soon though, although just as likely not this week.

VV Fuel the muse please VV


	4. Halloween

**AN**: First of, sorry about the delay, but reallife problems, along with other, more rabid plunnies came along, nipping at my heels. Add to that the fact that this is in fact the 32nd rewrite of this chapter... I'm not entirely happy with this, but hey...

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own BTVS, KoTOR or the Mode Series. Their respective owners, who are most definitely not me, do.

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**31.**  
Xander facepalms. The person Buffy dressed as is certainly not weak, and only arguably evil. He highly doubts it matters though, although part of him wonders when exactly that part of the franchise came out.

While he's made peace with the fact that the galaxy he knew is fictional in this universe, casually thinking of it like that still makes him shudder.

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**32.**  
Panic comes only a little bit later. Chances are high after all, that this is either Darth Revan, Amnesiac Revan or Redeemed Revan. All of them with plenty of beef. Only Jedi Revan [first edition] and Dead Revan wouldn't attack him on sight, and boy, isn't that yet another squeecky thing, that he instantly asks himself what aspect of his friend he is dealing with, and thinking of their respective responses.

Multiple Personalities Disorder anyone?

All panic-induced joking aside, this is dangerous. This is Buffy Revan is possessing. The Buffy who is with Willow, Revan's current incarnation. The Buffy that is the reincarnation of Revan's lover herself. The Buffy that has enhanced strength on top of Revan's Force Abilities, and most likely has a bone to peel with him, especially after she finds that latter fact out.

He opens his Sight as far as he can, and in searching for the most likely possibilities of their encounter, he misses the fist heading towards his face.

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**33.**  
He can now, with complete certainty say, that the Revan currently possessing Buffy is a Redeemed Revan, who does not have the knowledge Dead Revan did.

"Hello to you too", he quips sarcastically, "Nice greeting. Is it your new standard?"

Revan glares at him. "Malak", she spits out. He rolls his eyes.

"Well, isn't this awkward?"

He asks no one in particular.

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**34.**  
It seems Revan ditched Willow, who, she surprisingly enough didn't recognize, when she honed into him like a guided missile. And man, did she pack a punch. Nor did she identify Buffy.

The first might be explained away with the fact that Willow is similarly possessed, although that should never have stopped Revan from recognizing... Well... Herself. The second is stranger though. You'd think she'd recognize the soul she was once bonded with.

Part of him might have felt flattered about that fact, seeing how she recognized him by signature where she did no such thing with the others, but that is dampered by the fact that she immediately assumes he's to blame.

Granted, this Revan doesn't know better, but it stings.

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**35.**  
Finishing his explanation about his presence, her presence, the circumstances -of both this Halloween and the previous Galaxy-, the whole reincarnation shtick, his sight, and the permanent forcelike compulsion permeating his very being", it is hours later.

"That doesn't sound too bad", the newly dubbed, BuStiVan says dryly, in response to the latter part.

Xander twitches and begins. "It caused my 'parents' to ignore me, whenever they weren't being abusive, and the authorities to ignore that abuse. It caused school to label my grades as failing, and my boss to see what work I do on my job as inadequate. despite not making any mistakes in either", he rants, "Most importantly, it causes my friends, with whom I save the world on an at least bi-annual basis, and generally fight darkness with the rest of the time, to dismiss almost everything that comes out of my mouth as unimportant, despite having a well-established presence on the Hellmouth, being pre-cognizant, and currently the most experienced and most powerful of the group, since I retained most abilities and the knowledge on how to use them. They're all wonderful, don't misunderstand, and they all have the potential to be stronger than me, seeing how they're... well... the old gang reincarnated. I honestly wouldn't trade them for the world, but KRIF, being seen as the doughnutboy by people barely above Padawan-level at best is getting on my nerves."

BuStiVan... erhm... Revan suppresses a grimace at that, although she can't help but let an amused "For how long have you wanted to vent that exactly?" slip. Xander gives her an evil eye, but he nevertheless looks at his watch and responds dryly, "15 years, 9 months, 16 days, 2 hours, 4 minutes and... 23 seconds".

The woman twitches again: Yep, Malak was definitely peeved.

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**36.**  
Xander knows that the 'soul' currently dominant in the body in front of him isn't really Revan. But he cares little. Hypocritical as it may be, he needed a confidant who could look past the Curse, and who would listen to that rant. Bottling up all that frustration isn't healthy, and ever since he got the Curse there is no one he could talk about these kind of things with, without it being dismissed as ineffectual ramblings.

Ofcourse, his points are still rather childish ramblings in his opinion, as the world isn't all about him, but Force, it felt good. The fact that this is a version of his old friend that remembers him as he was, albeit an earlier him, makes it even better. she KNOWS him.

When she asks him what they should do now, he stares of into empty space for a while.

"We'll go look for Giles", he decides, and further explains to Revan about the fact that they could just let the spell run it's course, and let it dispel itself in the end, but both Ethan Rayne, and the 'Ripper' aspect of Giles were important, and needed to be introduced at this point. And seeing how Willow can't do this at this point...

"So basically you need Giles to go through character development, open the Ripper path, for when you will need it, and introduce a minor antagonist", Revan summarizes.

"Not how even I would have worded it, seeing how this is my life, and this dimension on the line, but yes.", Xander replies, not following through on the line of thought of how his previous life actually is a fictional work in this dimension, and this dimension might as well be in another, if the 'plot' could be this easily summarized. Fourth Wall breaking is a decidedly bad thing, and going through with it would certainly have led to that action-which-must-not-be-named.

* * *

**37.**  
Along the way they encounter a distinctly confused Willow. Xander decides not to comment out loud on the overly depressing emotions the girl is releasing into the Force. Little wonder that Revan didn't notice Willow and Buffy's identities when she first came here, it's drowning everything out, even the malice of the Hellmouth, something which Xander had previously thought impossible.

Dragging her along, despite her protests, they fail to encounter Cordelia. This isn't all to surprising when Xander thinks about it, seeing how it's been hours since they should have bumped into each other, but it matters little in the end.

Having planned ahead for this anyway, both Xander and Bustivan Ham it up a little. Colene -that is, Willow.- isn't all that impressed, being wellversed in masks, and easily seeing the performance for what it is, but Giles seems to fall for it.

* * *

**38.**  
When Giles is away, and Revan too, is elsewhere, Colene approaches Xander, asking why Revan seems to be actively avoiding coming in contact with her.

Hesitantly Xander answers, "It's because Revan and I are, among other things, powerful Empaths, and you are... well...

Bitterly Colene finishes what he was loathe to say, "A source of Dolor"

Xander winces, "For what it means, I'm sorry for her reaction. I'm pretty good in the shielding department myself, so I can put it aside, but she's been through some bad things as well, and being around you brings some of her memories of her worst moments back."

"I'm travelling in mental contact with some people who went through terrible things themselves", she states curiously, "They never seem to take it this badly."

Xander deflates, "It is complicated. A long story short: What's hurting her are not the things that were done to her, but the things she did in her less than sane moments. Revelled in, even."

"Ah, struggling to come to terms with the actions of her Dark Side, isn't she?"

"Yep, Literally, unfortunately."

"Huh?"

"THAT is Revan. Former Sith Lord. "

* * *

**39.**  
Giles Rips Ethan up good. The bust is broken, and the night is saved. The same cannot be said of Spike though, who, since he did not encounter Buffy and her friends, wasn't prevented from meeting with a very pissed off Alucard.

Xander does not find out until afterwards, when the paths have settled down, and even when he does he can't bring himself to feel too sorry.

Spike might have had the potential to be a good comrade in arms, but the atrocities he had committed, and would continue to commit in a large amount of the other timelines make it hard to be genuinely sorry for him.

_Nor does Xander notice how, in the magical backlash of the Bust's destruction, more than just the Halloween spell on his friends is washed away, until it's too late._

* * *

**40.  
**Giles cleans his glasses in typical Rupert fashion, "So who did all of you go as anyway"**  
**

"Revan", Buffy answers, "from the Star Wars game, although it's kind of blurred out."

Willow goes next, telling us she went as a character from some obscure series she was reading, some Colene who was basically on a trip through the multiverse.

Finally it is his turn, not expecting for his words to not be dismissed he answers "Meh, I didn't go as anything, seeing how I already have enough past life experience as it is, along with the Hyena possession that is still buried somewhere in there, I didn't need anything on top of that"

"Hyena possession?", Buffy asked. Followed by a "Past life?" from Willow. "You were the last Hyena possessed we couldn't find?", that last one is Buffy again. "Wait, you KNEW!", and THAT one came in triple chorus.

It takes a while for Xander to process the fact that they did, in fact, take him seriously. "Wait, you guys didn't dismiss that?", he asks gobsmacked.

He takes a quick peek at the Paths, and despite knowing this would needlessly complicate the future he had planned out to avert all the Apocalypsi, he lets out a jubilant whoop. "HAH! Take THAT Powers! No more Cassandra Curse for this Seer!"

At the disbelieving looks he shrinks into himself and awkwardly laments:

"Now I just have to break the false imago I've been saddled with since birth due to it. Joy. And here I thought I was done with explaining for the night."

"You still seem like the same Xander to me?", Willow supplies doubtfully. Sadly enough, that does make him feel better.

The following, "Omigod Aquaman-day, you really WERE attacked by vampires." dampens that good mood though.

Reflexively he cries, "WE'D NEVER SPEAK OF THAT AGAIN!"

* * *

**AN2**: That wraps this chapter up. The One Day Xander's Sight is rendered mostly useless due to the advent of Chaos, and then all this crap happens. Ah well, having gotten past that hurdle he can finally start planning for the later future, and most important of all, he will be mostly believed. He'll probably need to fear for the moments he really, really shouldn't prevent though, or rather their aftermath.


End file.
